2/12/2017

1. The LEGO Batman Movie (review)- $55.6M
Leave it to Batman to figure out how to overcome such a crowded, busy movie weekend. The LEGO Batman Movie took the top spot with $55.6M, and $92M worldwide. While that domestic number is slightly down from what The LEGO Movie did a couple of years ago, this is still a very good start, especially when you consider the competition it had to deal with. I have a feeling the doom 'n gloom of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice actually helped because fans of the character were dying for a fun superhero movie again. Don't be surprised if it holds strong going into next week.
2. Fifty Shades Darker (review)- $46.7M
The saucy sequel Fifty Shades Darker opened with $46.7M, which is great even though it's almost half of what Fifty Shades of Grey did two years ago. Let's be honest; the only ones dying for this one are the most hardcore fans of E.L. James' racy novels and this franchise has them handcuffed tight, pun intended. Most impressively, it added another $100M worldwide for $146M worth of sales from freaks all across the globe. Unsurprisingly, the reviews were awful, but that was never going to hurt this movie. And it's unclear if this fell into "date night" category for Valentine's Day. I mean, it's not at traditional kind of flick for the holiday even though Universal keeps insisting that it is. We'll see how it does going into next week and if couples make it part of their holiday festivities, which may or may not include leather bondage.
3. John Wick: Chapter 2 (review) - $30M
Whereas the first two movies on this list opened with bigger numbers, they were also down from their predecessors. John Wick: Chapter 2 is the only new release to have fan anticipation reflected in the box office. John Wick opened a couple of years ago with $14M and rode a wave of buzz to nearly $90M, becoming a cult favorite in the process. The sequel more than doubles that with $30M, plus another $10M internationally for $40M overall. It's not often we get homegrown original franchises, but this is one we can definitely say has been driven in large part by Keanu Reeves' star power. There will undoubtedly be a third movie and after that, possibly a TV series. They're kind of following the Taken model, but I think there is genuine admiration for these movies more than there ever was for Liam Neeson and his special set of skills, which became a punchline.
4. Split- $9.3M/$112.2M
5. Hidden Figures- $8M/$131.4M
6. A Dog's Purpose- $7.3M/$42.5M
7. Rings- $5.8M/$21.4M
8. La La Land- $5M/$126M
9. Lion- $4M/$30.3M
10. The Space Between Us- $1.7M/$6.5M